Soooooo I was on task yesterday to find a blacksmith to make new braziers for the temple grounds when I ran into another slave and we started talking, then a free man came up and asked where the Tavern was, so I pointed to the front of the city directing him, then another free man came up behind me and when I turned to point I saw him and a free women so I greeted them. The first free man moved on, the second one pointed to his feet...which I then went to and kneel before. He Promptly accused me of not kneeling before a free...I looked down at my knees on the ground and up at him like..."Wtf?"...and he broke out cuffs and chains and chained my wrists to my ankles with only enough room to crawl. Mind you, he is not of this city, not my owner, and I am a high caste slave.

Then he put a sign around my neck that had a quote from Players of Gor. I can't find the exact quote, and don't feel like logging on to get it, but basically it sounds like this one from Dancers.

"It is almost universal, as far as I know, that a slave kneels in one fashion or another when entering her master's presence, or if she should find herself in his presence. She commonly kneels when spoken to by any free person. This is simply a matter of respect. To be sure, she can be slain if she does not do so. The kneeling position, of course, which the master's, or free person's, permission, either tacit or explicit, is usually required to break, is commonly an initial position. For example, after its deferential assumption, she may be dismissed from it, to other duties, such as cleaning, shopping or cooking."Dancer of Gor, p. 114

So, drop to your knees on the street every time a free stops you to ask something....(which there is another quote of a girl being stopped by Tarl and she answers his question and moves on without kneeling)...orrr stand and answer the questions unless told to kneel, or if the "service" to a free is longer then expect...more then one question, etc, then kneel in the street?...

I assume the gorean streets are probably pretty damn messy. Bosk dung, Kaiila dung, tarn droppings, dirt, mud, garbage possibly. People constantly bustling about. Would it be realistic to have all these kneeling slave girls taking up room in the streets, at risk of being trampled or run over?

A man can tell a slave to kneel, a man can punish a slave for not kneeling.

This isn't really for any practical reasons or because of strict rules, but simply because slaves are supposed to be below the free and obedient to them (as long as it doesn't go against the wishes of her owner (if he is present)).

Does this mean a slave should kneel every time she talks to a free? No.Does this mean a slave can be punished for not talking to a free? Yes.Does this mean a slave should get permanently physically harmed or slain for not kneeling? No. Although it is Gor and certainly always a risk, as long as the Free Man who does it will take ICC for it should they come for him too. I would note Reasonable Right to Life rules here though, per RP etiquette.

Maybe it being confusing and subject to the free's whim is just another form of oppressing the slaves.

The books state that a slave kneels, when she is addressed by a free or solicit a free. And the books state that in a presence of a free woman, the slave girl, often, does more than simply kneeling, she also puts her head on the ground, the free woman being her worst enemy.

Is is realistic to kneel everywhere without damaging the knees? No... But why bother about realism? Seriously, almost nothing is realistic in the books. In one book (Kajira I guess), Norman even describes a girl who clean the floors with her hair.... That must be because Goreans enjoy finding hairs on their floors, I assume...

I don't understand well why the kneeling position it's still a big deal when most slave players don't mind the naked feet of their character.... Real ego?

If we tried only to play with realism, we could as well re-write the books...

Hopefully he kept it all IC. I remember that happening one time to my character, and I just rolled with it - dude was just getting a kick out of fucking with some random slave girls. It was a fun, if brief, RP.

This isn't fucking Survivor. We aren't a tribe.

If I won't put up with an in-character owner trying to control my OOC life, what makes you think I'll put up with you trying to do that?

All women in gor knelt. Some on cushions but still. It wouldn't take much for the legs to fall asleep. I say if it was IC, roll with it. I don't know what sort of interactions you want to have with people who are random to your character of the limit is for them to be "of the city" or its owner. Granted, some interactions are sort of ridiculous but welcome to role play.

It’s a judgment call. I’d say if you’re having a conversation with a free person, the slave should kneel, but if it’s just a few words, it’s not realistic to expect the slave to be up and down like a yo-yo.